St Gildas Catholic Primary School, located in Yeovil, Somerset, underwent an inspection on September 24 and 25, 2024. The school is co-led by Juliet Cahill and Alison Setter and is part of The Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust. The inspection revealed that the quality of education at the school requires improvement, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were rated as good. Leadership and management were also found to require improvement. This was the first inspection under section five of the Education Act 2005, as the school had not been previously inspected.
The school fosters a warm and diverse community, effectively supporting pupils who join at various times throughout the year. The school collaborates with families to ensure that pupils settle in quickly, particularly those who speak English as an additional language. The well-being support for pupils is a notable strength, with strong professional relationships between staff and students. Pupils express enjoyment in their school experience, highlighting friendships and the rarity of bullying.
However, the curriculum is undergoing significant changes, and many aspects are still in development. Currently, there is a lack of effective learning across year groups and subjects, although the Reception curriculum is more established, ensuring that young children are happy and engaged in their learning. Pupils understand the school’s values, such as resilience and stewardship, and demonstrate respectful behaviour. They have access to various extracurricular activities, including sports, art, and drama, and enjoy educational trips.
The phonics programme at the school is well established, allowing pupils to read books that match their knowledge of sounds. Staff training has been effective, enabling children in Reception and those needing to catch up to progress well. However, other subjects are not as well developed, with unclear expectations regarding what pupils need to learn and in what order. This has resulted in variable learning experiences for pupils. The school has not effectively established ways to check pupils’ understanding, which can hinder the learning of younger pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities.
The early years foundation stage curriculum is well designed, with staff identifying barriers to learning and implementing effective practices to support children, including those who speak English as an additional language. The sequence of topics builds on children’s knowledge over time. Older pupils also develop a love for reading, engaging with books that address important issues and enjoying discussions with teachers.
Behaviour at the school is generally good, with clear expectations for conduct. However, disengagement can occur when curriculum practices are weaker. The trust has appointed interim headteachers to strengthen leadership, but it is too early to assess the impact of these changes. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, ensuring the safety and well-being of all pupils.
To improve, the school must clarify the curriculum to outline the specific knowledge all pupils need to learn, reducing variability in implementation. Additionally, the school needs to enhance its checks on pupils’ learning to identify gaps and misconceptions effectively. Staff responsible for curriculum changes require more support to ensure that teaching aligns with intended outcomes and to evaluate the impact of their work accurately. Overall, while the school has strengths, particularly in its community and early years provision, significant improvements are necessary in curriculum delivery and leadership effectiveness.
